MURDERER
Fire. Burning. Scalds. Again and again. She could see it in her reflection, staring back at her, telling her things she already knew, that time was getting shorter and shorter. Her hands trembled at the idea and Hinata couldn't help but wonder, if, when, it was all over, would she ever see her family again? Would she ever see Shikamaru again?
"_Commander Hyūga?" Hinata blinked, coming out of her thoughts. She looked at the doctor who had lead her to the hospital room where the victims of the underground were and then looked at the door to the room. It seemed she'd been standing there for a while. She opened the door and was met with sights of small bags on the ground and living people in it. She swallowed thickly as she walked around the large room, full of boys, girls, children, she felt bile rise up her throat. No she shouldn't think about it.
"This is your biggest room?" She asked softly as the doctor who's eyes were full of bags and determination of someone who willing to help everyone. She gave Hinata a smile who shook the hand of an incredibly short girl, who looked slightly malnourished and still had the faint purple bruises of physical abuse. Her eyes were almost void, blank of any emotions and Hinata felt a knife twist in her heart.
The doctor smiled, "yes this is our biggest room, we're still counting the number of people, since more seem to come in whilst others choose to leave and go help in the military side of Paradis" Hinata froze.
"The military?" she questioned and the doctor nodded hesitantly, "thing is, some have been here for a while and without much to do they choose to fight for our island" Hinata's hands trembled, "really?" she whispered, almost careful, afraid. She was afraid, she couldn't let History- Had she done it again? Had she-
"Yes of course! Everyone knows the outside world wants nothing more than to crush us and as much as they've been hurting us, we won't start the war but, it still wouldn't hurt to be careful and I guess with that in mind, they decide to join the scouts, moreover it's quite.. obvious that they can't live normal lives" the doctor continued unaware of Hinata's dilemma. Hinata but her tongue harshly as she forced a smile on her face. Don't cry. No. Don't cry.
They chose this. They chose this. She didn't deliver them to death's door this time. She didn't. She didn't do anything.
"Commander Hyūga!" her thoughts were broken once again and a hyper active brunette ran straight in to her arms and Hinata's smile widened as she hugged the girl tightly whilst droplets of tears cascaded down her face.
The girl cried happily and gave Hinata a large grin "Thank you for saving me, thank you thank you.." the child continued to say as tears of joy seeped through her beautiful blue eyes and Hinata smiled, tears coming from her lilac eyes whilst the heaviness in them were concealed deeply within her heart. The girl continued to say her thanks whilst Hinata felt the other victims look at her with eyes full of gratitude and appreciation.
But Hinata didn't see them rather she saw others in place of them. She saw the girls and boys who's blood was on her hands. She saw the hope vanish within their eyes and leave nothing but an empty shell. She saw the thousands of children whom she saved, only to condemn. She saw them all and Hinata couldn't unsee it.
"I'm sorry, please excuse me" and she ran, her legs sped up and she shut the door as her stomach churned and the several memories she hoped to repress came pouring through.
And Hinata wanted to yell, she didn't want to remember anymore. She couldn't do it anymore. The Hyūga dropped to the ground and tears forcefully came out of her eyes and she felt her shame linger into her mind. Forget. Why couldn't she just forget? Her eyes stared at the hospital wall and she sobbed softly.
"Pathetic!" a voice hissed and Hinata tensed as she looked up to see a familiar tall woman with brown eyes and blonde hair. Hinata wiped her tears and the woman gave her a scornful look, "did you smell it?" Hinata shook her head confused "of course you didn't, I'm asking you Commander Hyūga, did you smell it!" And Hinata's stomach dropped, she recognized this woman. The woman spat, "you recognize me, that's good, it means you recognize them too" she dropped a familiar drawing infront of her and Hinata's heart tightened. She recognized them all.
Sofie.
Irene.
Kent.
Kori.
Ayumi.
Helen.
Tim.
Clover.
Zara.
Kol.
Lila.
Kei.
May.
Anna.
Ursa.
Kelly.
Noah.
Jay.
Crystal
And more. And so much more.
"..So I ask you did you smell it" and Hinata looked down. She did smell it rather the lack of it, no sweat. No blood. No corpses.
Crystal looked at her and dropped a pile of drawings on her head and she looked at Hinata's lilac eyes, "you're a murderer commander Hyūga, you're a murderer and you should never forget it!"
"Crystal!"
"You're a murderer Commander Hyūga!"
"Someone hand her!" but Crystal wasn't done, she took Hinata's clothes and grabbed her tight and looked at her with bloodshot eyes full of hate. "You said you saved us! You liar! You murderer! You fucking bitch!" The slap came in expectedly and Hinata closed her eyes as Crystal punched her repeatedly whilst Hinata silently took it in.
A hand grabbed Crystal's and Hinata looked up to see yet another familiar face. Noah.
Crystal cried furiously on his chest and Hinata stared absentmindedly, she kneeled down and took the pictures on the floor and carried them in both her hands whilst she walked away from the sight. A hand grabbed her shoulder and she looked to see another doctor who gave her a sad smiled and started wiping her face, "do you need help?" The doctor asked and Hinata shook her head carrying the pile of pictures in her hands. The doctor wiped her face and Hinata forced her tears back as she bowed her head. "Thank you"
"Your welcome Commander Hyūga" Hinata nodded and left the hospital as she went inside the carriage. "Good luck with your speech! Commander Hyūga!" a voice yelled and Hinata smiled but her hands felt almost hollow. Her cheek healed automatically and Hinata looked at one of her division members who looked at her with confusion.
"What's that?"
"A reminder" Hinata whispered mournful and he titled his head, "of what?" he asked gently and Hinata gave him the pictures, "of the people I..." Killed. And Hinata's stomach churned, please, don't do this to me. Please don't. The room felt arguably small and Hinata clenched her fists tightly feeling herself hollow.
"How many children?"
"1153" she answered automatically and then her tears continued to fall. 1153 died. They all died. All of them. All of them. And it wasn't natural too. The carriage stopped and her subordinate held her hand, "Commander, you did all you could and you tried" he said sympathetically and Hinata tried to smile but she just couldn't. "How about now? How about the ones to come?" and he looked away as Hinata got out and arrived next to her original squad of thirteen, well one was missing.
"The maniac's not going to show?" Jenny said and Hinata chuckled softly, breathe. Breathe. She looked at the crowd of people waiting as the Queen announced their presence. "Ready?" The ten nodded and Hinata followed through as they walked and the crowd clapped their hands and hollered. Hinata stood infront of the stand, and the claps grew louder,
"My name is Hyūga Hinata and I am..."
..
"MURDERER!! YOU'RE A MURDERER YOU SHOULD NEVER FORGET THAT!"
..
"..The leader of the X Division, we are an invisible squad that has existed since the fall of wall Maria a decade ago. We have dedicated our lives to saving.."
..
"You didn't save them"
Hinata looked at the blonde in almost quiet rage, "where are the kids Smith?" She asked, uncharacteristically brimming with rage and the man shook his head, "dead" and Hinata's mind shattered, "that's not-"
"Come on, don't pretend like you didn't suspect Hinata, you knew very well that they were being sent to some hell! You knew, don't act like you didn't, don't pretend!"
"Shut up! What did you do!?"
"I sent them to the scouts, well, we sent them to the scouts"
..
"...children of Paradis from the underground which were all around the island, though hidden from sights. Our operation was a decade long and we are finally able to get out of the shadows because we have cleared all of them out. We have sa.."
..
"No! That's not" he grabbed her chin and gave her a rue smile, "lies don't look good on you princess! You suspected it and you kept on, you kept on 'saving them'" and Hinata's chest tightened painfully.
"Does Erwin know?"
"No of course not. He doesn't even know I'm alive"
"That's not what I mean, does he know you're sending them to their deaths?"
"Oh Hinata, they don't even know themselves"
..
"..saved all that we could" Hinata whispered and her team bowed as everyone's hands clapped whilst Hinata painful shut her eyes. She walked away, "Commander!" and she ran quickly as her knees buckled and she vomited whilst her tears fell.
..
"Please don't, they'll die"
"..They already have"